Stronger
by The Feline Overlord
Summary: The final hunt for the million on Camp Wawanakwa is over. Eight are denied another chance, and Eva has made a mistake that she will never be able to forgive herself for.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Total Drama.**

 **Dear Readers: Well, I'm back again. Was considering keeping this as a buffer, but decided against it because I have another chapter of A Race To Remember drafted on paper already. This is just a little one-shot I wrote to practice writing Eva and Noah for a roleplay I'm in, so please tell me how I did.**

 **Weird Update On The Author's Personal Life (December 2016): Pahkitew Island was ... interesting.**

 **Update March 2018:** **Just cleaning some things up and standardizing my authors' notes.**

* * *

She was weak. She knew it. There was no way, no explanation, no excuses for what she had done. Eva still saw his face, though his back was turned. It was beautiful, but somehow ugly at the same time.

She was shaking, her fists clenched. It was all that she could do to keep from crying.

He had come quietly, and Eva didn't realize he was there. Until Noah spoke, barely a whisper. "It's over. We ... we lost."

"Tell me something I don't know," she said bitterly.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"What do you think."

"I'll take that as a yes. Spill it, Iron Woman."

"Just leave me alone." Eva pushed him away and he fell backwards, a hurt expression on his face.

He simply got back up. "No."

She walked away. He followed. She broke into a run, racing through the forest. Risking a glance over her shoulder, she saw him falling farther and farther behind. "Wait ... slow down." He held up a hand weakly. Eva could easily have lost him, but in not watching where she was going, ran headlong into a tree. She only stood back up. With a primal scream, she punched the tree repeatedly.

Noah sped up to a sprint when he saw her stop. Maybe he could catch her.

"Go away! Noah? Is that you?"

"No, it's The Muffin Man," he deadpanned.

"I said, leave me alone!" Eva roared, lunging at him. Used to similar assaults, Noah easily sidestepped.

"You're obviously not fine, and I'm not leaving until you tell me why."

Eva flopped back down. She knew Noah well enough to deduct that he would've found some way to wear her down eventually. "Fine. You win."

"So, what's up?" He sat just out of lunging distance, knees tucked against his chest.

"Nothing," she insisted. He raised an eyebrow. "Well, nothing besides completely blowing my chance at a million dollars! And all because of some stupid guy. I shouldn't have let Justin take the money." Eva pounded her fist into the palm of her hand. "The next time I see him…" She trailed off. "I really screwed up."

"You're not the only one who's fallen for him. You saw Izzy." Noah looked to the muscular teenager beside him. Eva was one of his closest friends, and the toughest person he knew. Seeing her so beaten just didn't seem right.

"I just … I wasn't strong enough," she said quietly. She didn't look at all menacing. Eva seemed vulnerable.

"Come on, it's not like you would want another season of Chris torturing us, right?" Noah tried desperately.

"We were so close! The million dollars right there. If I could've resisted him, just for a little. I should've been stronger."

"Are you serious?" Noah responded. "I mean, you're freaking Iron Woman! You're the strongest person I know!"

She only grunted in response. "Come on, Eva. You're just being stubborn now. We all mess up sometimes; remember, I kissed a guy, of all things!"

"That didn't cost you a million dollars," she pointed out flatly.

"It cost me my dignity, though. And about that much in hospital fees after you were done with me." Still only silence. "Okay, this is seriously weird. Where's the old Eva, the one that would be yelling and punching something right now. Most likely me. Would you like me to just beat myself up for you? Even I'm not that lazy."

She threw a half-hearted jab in his direction, which he easily dodged. "Come on, I can punch harder than that!"

She grinned at him. "Well, if it makes you shut up."

A fair bit of scrambling and one fearsome uppercut later, it was Noah's turn to collapse onto the ground. "Hey! That actually hurt!"

"But wasn't that the point?"

"Not really." He brushed himself off and stood back up.

"Noah?" Eva looked around nervously. "Uh, I'm sorry. And thanks. For everything." She awkwardly put her arms around him. Surprised, Noah prepared himself to get squeezed to death, but his unfortunate demise never came. She was being surprisingly gentle. Noah returned the hug.

"Hey guys! What are you doing out here alone, just the two of you- ohhhhhh! Don't worry, E-Scope won't tell." Eva looked up to find Izzy swinging from a nearby branch. She pushed Noah away, both their faces red. "Izzy! Um, I mean E-Scope. How did you even find us?"

"Izzy followed your scent. Duh."

"Of course you did." Noah shook his head.

"E-Scope, could you do me us a favor?"

"Sure, Iron Woman. I know those possums won't floss themselves." Noah facepalmed.

"Win the million for all of us, okay? We'll be rooting for you."

"Gladly. Kaleidoscope out!" She backflipped away.

* * *

 **I know this wasn't that long; it wasn't meant to be. Hope you enjoyed, please review as usual, and have a nice life.**


End file.
